Glass washer



Sept. 9, 1941.

E. NIELSEN l GLASS WASHER Filed Jan. 24, 1939 2 sheets-sheet 1 Sept. 9, 1941. E, NlELsEN 2,255,080

GLASS WASHER Filed Jan. 24, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 9, 1941 sr'rss i ,A"-r1\1'r OFFICE.

The invention relates generally to glass washers, and more particularly to glass washing devices wherein the inside and outside surfaces of the glass are scrubbed while the glass and the scrubbing means are substantially submerged inI Washing solution.

Since glasses are most conveniently scrubbed while in an inverted vertical position, the scrubbing means is normally mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, and due to the varying height of the glasses to be scrubbed, it is necessary that the water or washing solution be relatively deep in order to submerge brushing means oi sucient height to wash the wide variety of glasses encountered in commercial fountains orf restaurants.

- When the washer is of a type adapted for mounting in present washing tanks, it has been found that a large proportion of the commercial washing tanks are too shallow toprovide for submergence of the desired length of brushing structure. Hence, for prior machines designed to af,- ford proper washing of the desired range of glass sizes, the potential market has been greatly limited by the large proportion of shallow wash tanks in use throughout the country.

Many oi the wash tanks encountered have a maximum water depth of but or 6 inches, and the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a glass washing device of the brush type capableV of properly washing the full range of glass sizes in such shallow sinks. Y

A further object is to provide such a glass washer wherein adequate circulation of washing solution through the brush structure is assured, despite the normally low or shallow water level in the wash tank.

Another object is to provide a glass washer of this character in which an elevated and substantially constantA water level is established about the glass washing structure.

A further object is to provide such a device wherein the elevated water level is maintained with a minimum expenditure of power.

Another object is to produce a device of this character in which the water elevating means serves merely as a make-up means to maintain the elevated water level against leakage losses, and wherein a circulation of the elevated body of water is attained by other means independently of the water elevating means.

A further object is to provide a new and improved portable glass scrubbing machine capable of operation in washing tanks having a normal water level lying substantially below the upper endsrof the brushing means.

`Other objects and advantages will becomev apparent from Vthe following description, taken in Yconnection-with the accompanying drawings, in Whihr Fig. l is agperspective view of a portable glass `washingrdevice embodying the features of the invention.

showing the device of Fig. l positioned in a Eig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View washing tank. Y

Fig 3 is a-plan sectional View taken along the line-3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 `is a plan section taken along the line 4 4 of `lig. 2.

Fig, 5 is a fragmental vertical section taken along the linen5-5 of Fig. 3.

In the form chosen for illustration herein the invention is embodied in a washer I0 of portable construction adapted to be readily and easily mounted in present wash tanks such as the tank 1 II Yshown in Fig. 2. The washer I0 as herein shown is self-contained and unitary in construction, in that it comprises abase I2 adapted to rest on` the bottom I3 of the tank II through `the medium of suction cups i4; and on the base I2 there is mounted a rotary scrubbing means AI 5 and a driving means therefor, such as an electric motor i6 supported in an elevated position by a jcolumn I'I upstanding from one end of the base I2.

4The `brushingmeans I5 being rotary in character, a suitable rotary drive is provided therefor, comprising inthe form illustrated, a suitable reduction gearing (not shown) in the lower vendof the motor housing, which gearing drives a shaft I8 extending downwardly through the tubular column I'I. At its lower end and within the base I2 the shaft I8 carries a pinion I9 and this pinion engages a main gear 2D also con- `,tained in the base. The gear A2l) has an upstanding central sleeve or hub 2I which surrounds an .upstanding central bearing stud 22 mounted in v the removable lower wall 22' of the base I2.

lThe brushing means I5 is drivenwfrom the .gear 20, and in the present case the base I2 has Yclearance in the annular opening 24 in the top wal125 of the` base. -This small clearance pre'-` vents entry of injurious foreign matter into the gear chamber. As an additional safeguard against foreign matter, and particularly against broken glass, the present device has a glass pan 26 which overlies the upper face of the gear 20 and serves as a support for the elements of the brushing means, and as a driving connection from the gear to the brushing means. Thus the glass pan 26 has a bottom wall 21 with a relatively short upstanding centralV sleeve 28 which slips down over the sleeve 2| of the gear 20 and has a complemental engagement with the flat sides thereof so as to be rotated with the gear 20. Above the sleeve 28, a brush-mounting collar v29 embraces the gear sleeve 2|" and is held in place.

by a cam tooth 30 engaging a projecting element 3| on the gear sleeve 2|. The brush mounting sleeve 29 has the lower endof'a central-brush core 33 xed in its upper end by a screwf34.

At its outer edge the glassr pan 26 has an up- VstandingTlv annular "wall 35 which runs --`clos'ely within an upstanding annular ledge' 36 lsurrounding the opening- 24; and theY upperedge ofV the wall 3 5 is turned/outwardly" over 4-the'i'ipp'er edge of the ledge 3S. -The wall 35Iin `thepresent 'instance serves to support a plurality of -outer brushes 31 byV means of upstanding dovetail channels 38. The channels38 are vertically positioned to receive the backs 39 of the brushes 31,

and suitable'spring means' 40 is provided within:`

each channel 38 to secure thebrushesiin position while allowing for expansion of the-wood from 'fwhich the backs are made. The bristles of the side brushes 31 project into-thespace between vertically extending rows i '4| of brist1es-which project laterally from the centralbrush core 33; and the central brush core 33 also has asubstantial tuft 42 of bristles at its upper end to assure proper scrubbing of the bottoms of the glasses.

About .the brush structure 5,'- -Whi'ch is formed by the central brush and the side brushesT 31, thev illustrated device is provided-'With a'cylinjdrical housing? 45 which; acts-as a'V guardabout the vrigid moving parts of the'y brush structure I5. 'The-housing' 45- surrounds' the `1edgej36- and is locked thereto by lugs-as indicated at 4| in Figs. l and 3. -The' housingv 4'5`also` functions to direct and control' the circulationof water through the brushV structure '|5,`and tothis endithas a plu- 'rality of outlet openings spaced downwardly fromV the'inturned upper end-s that centrifugal force may act during rotation of the brushes to u'discharge waterfrorn the lowerportion of the housing 45. Thuswhen' the brush structure is sub- -merged to a point abovethefupper edgeof the 'housing' 45,' Water flows continuously into thetop ofthe housing 45- and-is dischar'gefrom'the open- 'in'gs 4 6. This providesF for "continuous fushing of the'br'ushes as' well' as theglasses during the Iwashing process. Y

1 Since the rotation Vor" the brush"s`tructure tends Vto cause asubstantialwhirlpool-centrally of the brush structure, vthe openings'146 are herein "shown in the form of'louvres'dir'ected reversely as respects the'dir'ection of rotation ofthe brush vided for automatically elevating 4water to the required level within this supporting and enclosing means.

In the form herein shown the elevated Water level, as at (Fig. 2) is attained within an en- --closure or cylindrical outer casing 5|, which surrounds the housing-45 in spaced relation thereltoyandA extends upwardly beyond the top of the housing 45 to the required extent. This outer Ycasing 5| may be lled and the water elevated therein-by a variety of means, but it is desirable that this means provide for free communication ot-the? interiorofthe casing 5| with theV water l ingisolution. iin the tankf all' functions in `the washing 'operatiorrE by f being I circulated through 'thecasing 5| l The' -rateV of 'such circulation Vfrom the tank I into the casing 5|1'may,` of course, be= varied, -but--inY anyv case, -may'- be relatively slow.

-PInff '-thei present case the w'ater. is pumpedy to "theelevated -lev`e1=50`in the louter casing 5| by "pumping`lmeans`a'ssociated Vwith' the rotating brush-structure 15. IThusthe bottoml-Wall-ZZ i ofi-the base 5| 2 '-hasffa series? of relatively large openings' 53 vfol-medY-there'in asv closely i adjacent the@ axs of the f stud-'f 22.`V as'i possible; to permit entry of water, which water may pass-on upwardly vthrough-a lseriesof" holes 54for`rned in 'the' web of thegear' i201 adjacent thecentraI-h'ub Illn'orm'allyl passes!throughithese h'oles-4 53;- 54,

by means such-#fas anAv overflow-pipe? 58.

vWhenr 'the gear" 20; the` pari! 26, Vand the brush structure |5 'are rotatedby the motor'l at a sp'eediof-,from- 250. tof350 jR. P.-M., vthe various rotating-elementsactas a l'centrifugal-pump to charge this added -w'ater-'withinthe casing 5 I. and

thereby 'elevate' the "water-withinthecasing" 5 I 'The' casing" 5| -is,l"`in lthe l"present.-casejtightly f vfittedY about' the'flangedlower -'end' 'of the inner 'housing 45 so that there can bei-but l'slight leak- Aage of water from this lower edgeiof -the `casing 5|. i Hence any 'excess of water pumped into the casing! 5| f'will' low` over `-the -top Vof (the casing 5 Ordinarily :this overflowis'fbutlslight; andv it serves merely -as` af'm'eans for "gradually circulat- `ing-'allof the A'washing' 'solutioriin'thetank 'through-thefcasing 5|.v The rate of such overflow will of course vary with -the'brush Ysp`eed;pump efciencypand water-level 51,--but it is `found VVth-at sufficient secondary circulationv isattained when the -level 51 inthe maintankis at orabove "the mark- 60 onthe casingv 5|` With such a Water level 51 it is also found that thwaterin the casing 5| lis velevated tothe desired level 5U within' a'few' seconds after starting the Washer,"`so that there'is'. lpractically no loss lof time .intheuse-of ;the present machine.

AU'Thee-secondary circulation duev to overflow of water fromthe -ca'sing 5| -has'vfbe'en described as being relatively slow, so that there is but little additional power required to attain this flow; and yet, in the present device, there is a vigorous flushing ow of fluid through the inner housing 45 and the brush structure whereby to wash away the dirt particles as they are loosened by the brushes. This vigorous flow also serves to clean the brushes themselves. In this primary circulation, the fluid flows into the top of the housing 45 as indicated by the arrow 63, downwardly through the brushes, and out of the iouvres 46 as indicated by the arrows 64. Such circulation takes place, of course, even if the water level 51 is much higher than shown herein.

From the foregoing it will be evident thatI the present invention provides a glass Washer which operates eiciently in wash tanks of a relatively shallow construction, whereby to increase the range of usefulness of devices of this character.

I claim as my invention:

A glass washer comprising in combination, a base, a brushing means rotatable about a substantially vertical axis, an open top cylindrical housing surrounding said brushing means and having openings in its sides spaced from the top thereof whereby water entering said open top may be discharged by the rotating brushes through said openings, a casing surrounding said housing in spaced relation thereto and extending to a point above the open top of said housing, pumping means located adjacent to thelovver end of the brushing structure and having a pump inlet communicating through the base to the exterior of the washer and a pump outlet, said outlet discharging within said casing, whereby water enters said casing by gravity to the level of the water in the tank in which the washer is mounted, said casing being mounted on said base and being imperforate from said base to a level above the top of said housing so that the sole path of water flow between such a tank and the lower interior portion of said casing is through said pumping means, said pump being operable as an incident to the rotation of said brush structure to discharge water into said casing, whereby, when the washer is mounted in a tank having a normal water level too low to submerge said housing, said pump induces an elevated Water level within said housing, the rotation of said brushing means being operable upon the water elevated by said pump within said casing to circulate the same repeatedly through said brushing means while said pump` actsmerely to replace the loss of water due to leakage or overflow from said casing.

EMANUEL NIELSEN. 

